Jul 24, 2014

"Boondoggle" At Social Security

A story from ABC (update: actually, this is an AP story which ABC didn't properly attribute) bearing the title "Social
Security Spent $300M on 'IT Boondoggle'"

Six years ago the Social Security Administration embarked on an
aggressive plan to replace outdated computer systems overwhelmed by a
growing flood of disability claims. Nearly $300 million later, the new
system is nowhere near ready and agency officials are struggling to
salvage a project racked by delays and mismanagement, according to an
internal report commissioned by the agency.

In 2008, Social Security said the project was about two to three years
from completion. Five years later, it was still two to three years from
being done, according to the report by McKinsey and Co., a management
consulting firm.

Today, with the project still in the testing phase, the agency can't say when it will be completed or how much it will cost. ...

As a result, agency leaders have decided to "reset" the program in an
effort to save it, the report said. As part of that effort, Social
Security brought in the outside consultants from McKinsey to figure out
what went wrong.

They found a massive technology initiative with no one in charge — no
single person responsible for completing the project. They issued their
report in June, though it was not publicly released.

As part of McKinsey's recommendations, acting Social Security
Commissioner Carolyn Colvin appointed Terrie Gruber to oversee the
project last month. Gruber had been an assistant deputy commissioner. ...

The revelations come at an awkward time for Colvin. President Barack
Obama nominated Colvin to a full six-year term in June, and she now
faces confirmation by the Senate. Colvin was deputy commissioner for 3½
years before becoming acting commissioner in February 2013.

The House Oversight Committee is also looking into the program, and
whether Social Security officials tried to bury the McKinsey report. In a
letter to Colvin on Wednesday, committee leaders requested all
documents and communications about the computer project since March 1. ...

The troubled computer project is known at the Disability Case Processing
System, or DCPS. It was supposed to replace 54 separate, antiquated
computer systems used by state Social Security offices to process
disability claims. As envisioned, workers across the country would be
able to use the system to process claims and track them as benefits are
awarded or denied, and claims are appealed.

But as of April, the system couldn't even process all new claims, let
alone accurately track them as they wound their way through the system,
the report said. In all, more than 380 problems were still outstanding,
and users hadn't even started testing the ability of the system to
handle applications from children. ...

Maryland-based Lockheed Martin was selected in 2011 as the prime
contractor on the project. At the time, the company valued the contract
at up to $200 million, according to a press release.

McKinsey's report does not specifically fault Lockheed but raises the
possibility of changing vendors, and says Social Security officials need
to better manage the project.

Gruber said Social Security will continue to work with Lockheed "to make
sure that we are successful in the delivery of this program."

This project is a genuine problem and a serious one which deserves Congressional scrutiny but this piece reads almost as if it had been written by Darrell Issa's staff. How could this be an obstacle to Carolyn Colvin's confirmation as Social Security Commissioner? She didn't begin this project and wasn't in charge until late in the game. She's taken action to try to right the ship. How's this her fault? This piece doesn't mention the name of Michael Astrue, the Republican who was Commissioner of Social Security until last year. If you're going to put the blame on anyone, and I'm not sure you should, Astrue would be the top candidate. The name of the contractor, Lockheed Martin, which has excellent Republican connections, isn't mentioned until the 16th paragraph. Did Issa's staff write this piece? ABC shouldn't allow the mindless partisanship of Darrell Issa to infect its reporting.

5 comments:

But the project was on track when Astrue left and wasn't Carolyn Colvin at the agency with Astrue as the Deputy Commissioner for a least a couple years? Isn't anyone accountable these days that is currently in charge...guess not.

The project was absolutely NOT on track when Astrue left. And the McKinsey report, now available (though redacted) via the House site is WAY too soft on Lockheed, who are at the very least equally culpable in grossly mismanaging the requirements gathering and development of the project. Many of the people interviewed were in management positions, or positions where they could be in fear of repercussions from a negative report, so not likely to be as truthful as one would like.

Wonder when the press is going to get wind of Glenn Sklar's Ebb technological money pit. Appears to be a another HPI-type project with limited chance of success. Watch the backlog of cases rise at the Hearing offices if this process is instituted. Try to type your own hearing notes and pay attention to the applicant while doing that... I am sure the applicant feels like he is getting a lot of due process while the Judge corrects typos, clicks buttons and generally is having to pay more attention to a form on the screen then the person who the hearing is being held for... The form works at the state agency level for medical personnel because they do not have live interaction... guess the administration is not concerned with people - just filling in the blanks... sad..